FACTS ABOUT KRISTI NOEM’S CONGRESSIONAL OFFICE BUDGET

Statement:

“Kristi Noem spends $190,000 less annually on South Dakota’s congressional office than her predecessor did in 2010, spent less in 2017 than 2016, and has consistently spent around 10% of the budget on travel to ensure that she is in South Dakota as often as possible and to ensure that congressional office employees are traveling the state to help constituents as often as possible.  That’s what she was elected to do, and she’s proud of her record that has resulted in less spending overall.” – Justin Brasell.

FACTS:

• In 2016 (the latest year for which the numbers are final), the Noem office’s overall spending was 13% below her predecessor’s last year in 2010.
• Noem’s 2016 spending was more than $190,000 less than her predecessor’s last year in 2010.
• The office’s budgeted spending for 2017 was also lower than 2016.
• Kristi has always kept her office’s travel spending around 10% of her total budget. The 2018 travel budget remains under 10% as well.

2011: 8.8% of total Members Representational Allowance (MRA, the amount allocated for the office to spend)

• 2012: 10.0% of total MRA
• 2013: 10.6% of total MRA
• 2014: 9.5% of total MRA
• 2015: 8.7% of total MRA
• 2016: 9.5% of total MRA
• 2017: figures still being calculated, but expected to be under 10%
• After she helped Republicans win back the majority in the House in 2010, Kristi Noem voted to cut overall congressional budgets.
• South Dakota is larger and more rural than most Congressional districts, naturally leading to higher travel costs than many other districts. For example, New York’s 15th district is just over 10 square miles.  South Dakota is 78,116 square miles.

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FACT CHECK: Travel Numbers

On Sunday, Congresswoman Noem’s campaign issued a statement attacking Marty Jackley with false claims that he has had a “sudden” and  “extreme” increase in his travel budget.1  However, state records for Jackley’s personal travel actually prove there is a decrease.  The Noem campaign is using falsehoods drummed up by the Democratic Party earlier last week.  Here are the facts:

Jackley Personal Travel Expenses while Attorney General

FY2012	$3,313.66 *partial fiscal year
FY2013	$6,810.28
FY2014	$6,769.92
FY2015	$5,146.30
FY2016	$4,054.20
FY2017	$4,803.51
FY2018	1,196.63 *partial fiscal year (July 1, 2017 thru Dec. 31, 2017)

* Note: Attorney General Jackley has access to state vehicles that are also used by other employees in the Office of Attorney General. In 2017, less than 5,000 miles were attributable directly to Attorney General Jackley.

Total Travel Expenses by Office of Attorney General

FY2013	$1,083,682,.95
FY2014	$913,988.08
FY2015	$971,647.29
FY2016	$987,168.69
FY2017	$969,992.04
FY2018	$458.031.73 *partial fiscal year (July 1, 2017 thru Dec. 31, 2017)

“South Dakotans deserve an open and honest campaign,” said Attorney General Marty Jackley. “South Dakotans also work hard for their tax dollars, and they deserve to know exactly how their money is being spent. All candidates running for governor who utilize state or federal resources should release their personal travel records, including detail that is not currently available to the public.”

A review of Congresswoman Noem’s taxpayer-funded travel makes her recent attack on Jackley’s travel perplexing.  Noem’s personal travel records are not public information; however, overall spending for her office travel is available.

Current public records reveal Congresswoman Noem has historically spent far more than double that of the average House Member on travel.  She also ranks 16^th highest of all House Members for travel reported so far in 2017.

Calendar Year	Travel by Congresswoman Noem’s Office	Travel by Average Congressional Office
2011	$129,668.46	$58,473.03
2012	$137,920.76	$52,586.39
2013	$132,441.82	$49,954.52
2014	$122,028.69	$52,922.91
2015	$112,432.31	$53.825.54
2016	$123,711.73	$47,920.97
2017	$74,260.99 *3 quarters of the year (Noem Ranks 16th highest in nation)	$34,997.87

Source: https://www.legistorm.com/expenses/search_details/member_id/2796/name/Rep_Kristi_Noem.html

In the January 14^th Rapid City Journal article, the Noem campaign also defended Noem’s high travel costs by stating “South Dakota is larger and more rural than most congressional districts, which leads to higher travel costs.”  However, Noem’s travel expenses are also substantially higher than her counter-parts in North Dakota and Wyoming as shown in the chart below.

Office Travel by Members of Congress from South Dakota, North Dakota and Wyoming

Members of Congress	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017 *3 quarters
Noem (SD)	$129,668.46	$137.920.76	$132,441.82	$122,028.69	$112,432.31	$123,711.23	$74,260.99
Cramer (ND)			$77,840.87	$61,076.85	$74,260.99	$90,197.80	$67,752.36
Lummis (WY)	$109,086.03	$119,860.70	$85,183.77	$90,532.61	$90,783.43	$52,351.24
Cheney (WY)							$45,534.00
Average House Member	$58,473.03	$52,586.39	$49,954.52	$52,922.91	$53.825.54	$47,920.97	$34,997.87

Source: https://www.legistorm.com/expenses/search_details/member_id/2796/name/Rep_Kristi_Noem.html

1. Tupper, Seth (2018, January 14). Noem Ranks 16^th in House travel expenses. Rapid City Journal, p. A4

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From a facebook conversation a week or two back, in response to a question about party, City Council candidate (and former Democrat legislative candidate) Clara Hart made a point to draw attention to the non-partisan nature of Sioux Falls Municipal races:

Too bad her campaign finance report does not reflect that:

Compared to what Hart has spent on her council race, Sioux Falls City Council candidate Clart Hart spent SEVEN TIMES as much on Democrat candidates and Democrat causes than she has on actually campaigning.

Over .85 cents of every dollar in her City Council race has been turned over to Democrats and Democrat causes.

But as she says, “Municipal positions are non-partisan.”

Mostly.

Seriously, I don’t actively go looking for this stuff. But it’s hard not to notice when a Gubernatorial Candidate actually tries to link Common Core educational standards to an increase of suicide rates.

It would be as if someone said during the Bush years that ‘No Child Left Behind’ was related to an increase in mining explosions. It’s pretty much just crazy talk.

Tax Reform is Already Working for South Dakotans
By Sen. John Thune

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which became law just before the beginning of the new year, is already working for South Dakotans and the rest of the American people. When we were debating it in Congress – myself, as a member of the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee and the conference committee that negotiated the final tax bill – I repeatedly laid out the reasons why I thought it was the right policy and the right time to pursue it. The results are starting to speak for themselves.

Exactly two weeks after this historic legislation became law, businesses from coast to coast announced they were awarding bonuses to more than 1 million workers, cumulatively, as a direct result of pro-growth tax reform. With Walmart’s recent announcement that it will be raising wages, offering bonuses, and expanding other benefits for its employees, including more than 5,300 in South Dakota, that number has already grown to more than 2 million.

From a story right in our own backyard, Great Western Bank, which is based in Sioux Falls and has branches throughout South Dakota and eight other states around the country, recently announced that it will be raising wages, offering bonuses, and enhancing employee health care offerings as a result of tax reform. In the announcement, the chairman of Great Western Bancorp said, “We want to kick off 2018 by investing in our people and communities.”

The end-of-year announcement by Molded Fiber Glass (MFG) that it will keep its doors open longer than expected was welcome news for its employees and the entire Aberdeen community. Since tax reform maintained existing law as it related to the Production Tax Credit, something I strongly advocated for throughout the tax reform debate, a substantial order was placed that will keep operations going and give MFG additional time to explore other partnerships.

This is all good news, but it’s only the beginning. Since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act lowered rates for all taxpayers in 2018, workers will soon see their paychecks go up, too. The government’s new payroll withholding tables were just released, and the U.S. Department of the Treasury expects nine out of 10 workers will see larger paychecks starting in February.

And when taxpayers file their 2018 tax returns next year, middle-income South Dakotans will feel the benefits of a doubled child tax credit and a doubled standard deduction (which, for example, means a married couple filing jointly will not pay taxes on the first $24,000 of their income).

The fundamental difference throughout this tax reform debate was that Republicans believe Americans know better than the federal government how to spend their hard-earned money. Our votes on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act reflected that belief. Democrats believe the federal government and its bureaucrats know more about your bottom line and can spend your money better than you can. Unfortunately, their votes on the tax reform bill reflected that belief.

I helped write the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and voting for it will be one of the most memorable moments during my time in Congress. I strongly believe that by supporting this bill, Republicans stood on the right side of history, and I’m glad the American people are already reaping the benefits from it.     

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Priorities for Rural America in 2018
By U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.)

Recently in Congress, we’ve been successful in undoing burdensome regulations put in place during the previous administration, providing tax relief for American families and businesses and strengthening our armed forces. We have also worked to relieve local financial institutions from regulations that hindered their ability to best serve their customers. As we begin this new year, we hope to build on those successes and focus on growing our economy, especially in rural areas.

Rural South Dakotans are feeling the effects of the recent downturn in the ag economy. As I’ve written about a number of times, free and fair trade is vital to the agriculture industry in South Dakota. Fortifying our existing trade relationships and identifying new markets for our crops and products will benefit our producers. Additionally, a strong farm bill that adequately supports the federal crop insurance program and increases the cap for Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres is vital to helping the ag economy recover from its recent recession.

Another component to strengthening rural America that has recently received attention is the importance of increasing access to high speed internet in rural areas. Broadband connects us to the world, and it’s important that we bridge the digital gap to provide rural communities with access to the same information as the rest of the country. High speed internet access can help students learn, which will give them better opportunities for a brighter future. It can help businesses expand by allowing them to participate in the modern economy, hire more employees and increase wages.

South Dakota has long been at the forefront in this arena, as we led the nation in connecting classrooms to the internet. While I was working as governor, South Dakota became one of the first states to join the Partnership for 21st Century Skills’ State Leadership Initiative, an effort to help our young people be competitive in an increasingly technological world.

The president recently signed two executive orders to provide broader and faster internet coverage. The first order instructs the Department of Interior to allocate resources for rural broadband installation. The other order requires agencies to use standardized forms and contracts to make the installation process as efficient as possible. Additionally, discussions are underway regarding an infrastructure bill that, in addition to improving roads and bridges, will encourage the development of new wireless towers near rural communities. I look forward to working with my colleagues to continue to cut down on roadblocks so we can bring faster, stronger and even better broadband to rural South Dakota.

South Dakota is a rural state and agriculture is our top industry. Our thousands of farmers and ranchers play an important role in feeding and fueling the rest of the world. In addition to a strong farm bill, increased trade opportunities and fewer burdensome regulations, access to high speed internet is important for them to run their businesses and increase productivity.

The U.S. economy is making a comeback. We need to make sure that the economy in rural America is growing right along with it. I’ll continue working in the Senate to create a friendly business environment so companies are encouraged and incentivized to expand into rural areas, and access to high speed internet is an important component of that.

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A Thin Blue Line
By Rep. Kristi Noem

A lot is asked from our law enforcement officers, especially at a time when crime is on the rise. Sadly, South Dakota’s violent crime rate nearly doubled between 2005 and 2015. If you look at domestic aggravated assault cases alone, police handled 129 in 2012. By 2016, they dealt with 276 cases. Drugs are also on our streets in increasing quantities, ripping families and friendships apart in many cases. Still, South Dakota’s brave law enforcement officers step up to meet the needs of our communities each and every day. And I, for one, am incredibly grateful.

January 9 marked National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, and while many South Dakotans recognize the tremendous role officers play throughout the year, it is nice to set aside a special day of gratitude.

Like many in South Dakota, I have been thrilled to see President Trump make law enforcement a priority again and am proud to help drive his agenda in the House.

Weeks after President Trump took the Oath of Office, for instance, the House passed the American Law Enforcement Heroes Act, which would allow Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grants to be used for hiring and training law enforcement officers. This is a critical program, and over the last five years, South Dakota has received $13 million in COPS grants.

To give law enforcement added support in the fight against drugs, I helped pass the Transnational Drug Trafficking Act, which broadened the scope of people subject to criminal prosecution for drug trafficking. I also voted for the Comprehensive Addition and Recovery Act to enhance coordination between criminal justice, substance abuse agencies, and first responders. Both bills became law and are in addition to the work I’ve done to strengthen our border security.

Additionally, I’m working to help law enforcement in indirect ways. For instance, the CUFF Act, which I introduced, prohibits individuals with outstanding felony warrants or parole violations from receiving certain Social Security benefits. Hardworking taxpayers should not have to pay people who are fleeing from the law. Not only is it unfair to ask taxpayers to do so, it’s self-defeating to subsidize someone’s attempt to shirk law enforcement. As Staci Ackerman, Executive Director of the South Dakota Sheriffs’ Association said, the bill would “limit [a wanted felon or parole violator’s] ability to avoid justice using taxpayer dollars to evade capture.” This bill was passed in the House and is awaiting a vote in the Senate.

The Thin Blue Line Act was another bill I’m proud to support. In 2016, more than 110 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents, according to the FBI. Of these more than 60 died as a result of felonious acts. Another 57,000 officers were victims of line-of-duty assaults. This cannot be tolerated. The Thin Blue Line Act would make targeting or killing a police officer or first responder a determining factor in potential death penalty cases. Moreover, we passed, and President Trump signed, the Public Safety Officer’s Benefits Improvement Act, which aimed to reduce the backlog of families waiting on approval for survivor benefits.

While I don’t know what it’s like to be in their shoes, I’m hopeful the choices I’ve made better equip law enforcement as they carry out their day-to-day duties. Thank you to all who serve and create that critical blue line that keeps our families and communities safe.

The Workforce Relay
A column by Gov. Dennis Daugaard: 

The legislative session commenced on Jan. 9 with my final State of the State Address.

I began my speech by talking about workforce, which will be a focus in my last year as governor.

From the perspective of businesses and employers, our state does not have enough workers in many skilled fields. This is a barrier to economic growth.  We have companies that do not expand, or that turn away business, because they cannot hire enough skilled workers to do the work.

To help with this demand for workers, I am bringing legislation this session to create an interstate licensure compact. Professional licensure standards can hurt the economy by creating a barrier to entering many professions.  Licensure can also make it difficult for professionals to move, because each state has its own licensure requirements.  Clearly, professional licensure plays an important role in protecting the public – no one wants to be operated on by an unlicensed doctor or have one’s house wired by an unlicensed electrician. But we must be sure that licensure isn’t used to keep qualified workers out of the market.

I reached out to the governors of North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming and Colorado, and all expressed an interest in a reciprocity compact for professional licensure. The idea is simple: if already licensed in one state, a professional can move to another member state and practice for eighteen months – enough time to earn a license in that state if one chooses to do so. The hope is that a number of western states will establish this compact, which then can spread to other states.

In large part, workforce is an issue relating to education. Our students should receive an education that allows them to find well-paying, fulfilling jobs, here in South Dakota. Fortunately, we are making headway in this area through programs like the Build Dakota scholarship, dual credit and the recently announced partnership with Southeast Tech and Dakota State University to create high-tech apprenticeship opportunities.

We are also taking steps through an effort we are calling “Career Launch,” which expands the availability of work-based education experiences, such as apprenticeships, internships or job shadowing during high school. The best way for young people to find career fields they like – or don’t like – is to experience them.

For example, in Yankton, many high school seniors plan their schedules so that their traditional classes are compressed into half a day – morning or afternoon. During the other half of the day, the student works at a paid internship with an employer in town.  The student receives high school credit, is paid at least $11 an hour, gains exposure to a career field, and learns the foundational skills – like how to arrive on time, dress appropriately and interact with customers and coworkers. This month, we are piloting Career Launch with the Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Yankton and Brookings school districts. We hope to expand this effort in the future to more districts.

I’ve often said over the years that workforce is a marathon, not a sprint. Now, as I enter my final year in office, I am coming to see that it is in fact a relay race. Our predecessors dealt with this issue. Over the past seven years, we have initiated strategies to address it. Some have worked, some haven’t, and some remain to be seen.

Next year, I will pass the baton to my successor, and I hope the next governor will continue to evaluate these strategies, and to try new approaches, so that we continue to make progress.

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In a Facebook post shared last night, State Senator Neal Tapio named the Republican Speaker of the House, State Representative Mark Mickelson, as one of his critics within the State Legislature.

Tapio indicated that the Speaker has refused to discuss the issue of Islamic refugees and Sharia law when approached as not “an important issue.”

We should suspend all immigration and refugee resettlement until we can isolate the source of the hate. We must have a very honest dialogue as a nation about the global war on terror carried out by Islamic terrorists who believe in the full implementation of sharia law. Anyone who resorts to name-calling those American patriots who dare discuss this issue in public as racists, extremists, xenophobes or Islamophobes simply do not understand the seriousness of the threat, or worse. Fortunately, a large majority of South Dakotans that voted for Donald Trump can see right through the political game of ostracizing and marginalizing those of us who vow to no longer avoid this issue.

On a related note, a packing plant in South Dakota, which currently employs over 400 Somali Muslims, actively recruits from the Somali community in Minnesota.

Does 50 Somali ISIS sympathizers, coming from a population of 100,000 Somalis in Minnesota, indicate a statistically significant number?

I think it does.

With that information, why does the South Dakota Speaker of the House repeatedly refuse to discuss this issue with me, saying that, “of the 80 most important issues facing South Dakota, my little ‘Muslim issue‘ doesn’t even make the list!”

Mr. Speaker, this isn’t my issue. This is the most important issue facing the freedom-loving world.

President Trump has the courage to face this issue. Many of our highest South Dakota elected leaders, have in the past, mocked him for his directness, when he said, “we need to figure out what the hell is going on.”

Some South Dakota political leaders still privately mock our President for his efforts to keep America safe from radical Islamic terrorism.

South Dakota legislators will have the opportunity to reconsider their support for President Trump and his effort to keep our country safe from radical Islamic terrorism. Those that fail to recognize the threat ‘shall’ be exposed.

Do you agree with the South Dakota Speaker of the House when he says this isn’t an issue our state government should address?

I don’t.

Read that all here.

What do you think? And is this posturing in the Congressional race costing Tapio political capital he could be using to accomplish his legislative goals for Watertown during session?

The floor is yours.